Israel and Hamas accused each other of violating the terms of a ceasefire deal agreed to last month, raising concerns over the durability of the truce about halfway through the initial six-week period.
Hamas said Monday the group’s next scheduled release of hostages on Saturday will be postponed until further notice, accusing Israel of delaying the return of Gazans to the north of the war-ravaged territory, opening fire in different parts of the strip and denying entry of humanitarian aid.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz responded that the Hamas announcement amounted to a violation of the ceasefire and the country’s military has been placed on high alert. The shekel fell against the U.S. dollar in response to the exchange, trading as much as 0.8% lower.
Hours later, though, Hamas softened its stance, saying in a statement that it wanted to “grant mediators sufficient time to pressure” Israel into complying so that the next prisoner exchange could go ahead as planned.
The comments on both sides highlight the fragility of the truce, with talks on whether it can be extended beyond early March at an early stage. Still, Israel and Hamas have exchanged similar accusations in the past that were ultimately resolved without scuppering the deal.
Israel agreed last month to exchange Palestinian prisoners for hostages taken by Hamas during the October 2023 attacks that triggered the 16-month war, and five swaps have taken place so far. Other elements of the deal include Israel’s partial withdrawal of troops and an increase in aid.
Hamas is designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. and many other countries.
“This is a very, very grave announcement,” Israeli Security cabinet minister Ze’ev Elkin told Israel’s Channel 12 TV on Monday, referring to the initial statement by Abu Obaida, a spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing. Israel’s redeployment of forces away from the Netzarim Corridor, a road that splits Gaza and isolated the north for much of the war, shows the country’s commitment to the deal, Elkin said.
Hagai Levine, head of the health team at the Hostages Families Forum in Israel, said on Monday that it is vital to get all the remaining hostages out as soon as possible due to their likely condition.
Since the ceasefire took effect on Jan. 19, 110 Palestinians have been shot and killed by Israeli fire in different parts of the Gaza Strip, according to local Palestinian reports. Hamas also said a fraction of the agreed number of fuel trucks and tents had been allowed to enter the territory, where much of the 2 million population are displaced, with their homes destroyed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was due to convene a top-level discussion of the proposed phase 2 of the ceasefire on Tuesday. That is seen laying out a path to a permanent end to hostilities, though Israel has said that can’t happen with Hamas still in power.
U.S. President Donald Trump claimed credit for the ceasefire signed just before his inauguration, though last week he added a complexity to discussions on the next phase with a shock suggestion that the U.S. take over Gaza.
Palestinians would be moved out of the territory during its reconstruction, he said during a visit by Netanyahu to Washington. The idea has been widely criticized in the Middle East and wider world, though Trump doubled down on Monday, saying they wouldn’t have a right to return to Gaza.
___
© 2025 Bloomberg L.P
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
